CARIBBEAN NATURAL RESOURCES INSTITUTE (CANARI) THE POTENTIAL OF NON TIMBER FOREST PRODUCTS TO CONTRIBUTE TO RURAL LIVELIHOODS IN THE WINDWARD ISLANDS OF THE CARIBBEAN Lyndon John March 2005 Prepared through the project “Developing and disseminating methods for effective biodiversity conservation in the insular Caribbean” CANARI Technical Report No. 334 TABLE OF CONTENTS Acknowledgements 3 Executive Summary 4 1.0 Introduction 5 2.0 Challenges and Constraints in the NTFP Sector 8 2.1 Livelihoods 8 2.2 Resource Sustainability 10 2.3 Finance 12 2.4 Marketing 13 2.5 Policy and institutions 15 2.6 Public awareness and Information 17 2.7 Training 17 3.0 NTFPs and Sustainable Livelihoods; Options for development 19 3.1 Governance and NTFPs 20 3.2 Research 20 4.0 Conclusion 23 Bibliography 24 Appendix 1 Selected List of economically important NTFP plants 26 Appendix 2 List of NTFP Workshop participants 30 2 Acknowledgements This report is an output under the three year project “Developing and disseminating methods for effective biodiversity conservation in the insular Caribbean” implemented by the Caribbean Natural Resources Institute (CANARI) and funded by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation. The project sought to address two critical regional needs which are (i) enhance the participation of all stakeholders in conservation initiatives, leading to the development of participatory conservation institutions that have popular legitimacy and political support and (ii) the need to strengthen the linkages between conservation and social and economic development. The analysis of the Non Timber Forest Product (NTFP) sector in the region sought to establish this linkage particularly since the sector has remained marginalised to mainstream economic activity for most of the Caribbean. CANARI’s approach to the analysis of the Non-Timber Forest Product (NTFP) regional use led to the establishment of an NTFP Learning Group comprised of state and civil society representatives (Appendix 2). The representatives came from the Windward Islands and provided reports and data covering their territories of Dominica, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Grenada, St. Lucia, Trinidad and Tobago. The Group contributed its NTFP experiences, and sought to analyse the issues, policy constraints and identify areas for further research. The author wishes to thank the following individuals for their contributions and for participating in the workshop in St. Lucia: Michael Andrew, Stephen Bailey, Michael Bobb, Brent Charles, Paulina Ferdinand, Daniel Firth, Donatien Gustave, Arlington James, Akilah Jaramogi, Floyd Lalite, Leo Lendore, Gordon Paterson, Margaret Severin, Anthony Simon, Alicia Stephen, William Trim, Ananias Verneuil, David Vital, and William William. The author also wishes to thank CANARI colleagues who reviewed the earlier drafts of this report and contributed many useful comments: Vijay Krishnarayan, Tighe Geoghegan, Carol James, and Sarah McIntosh. 3 Executive Summary This study is the result of a regional research initiative by the Caribbean Natural Resources Institute (CANARI) that comprised a literature review and culminated in a meeting on Non Timber Forest Products (NTFPs) entitled “The potential of the Non Timber Forest Products sector to contribute to rural livelihoods in the Windward Islands of the Caribbean” (14-15 July 2004) held in St. Lucia. The study also drew on the country reports and presentations made by 18 participants at the meeting. The countries represented were St. Lucia, Trinidad and Tobago, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Grenada and the Commonwealth of Dominica. The workshop participants came from diverse backgrounds which served to enrich the discourse through their firsthand experiences and analysis. Participants included representatives from the forestry administration sector, NTFP producers, representatives of development agencies, a representative from a blind welfare association and a representative from a community-based organization. The regional discourse on NTFPs has remained mainly within the domain of forest resource managers who are charged with ensuring protection of biodiversity resources. This has resulted in most of the regional studies produced to date focussing on conservation related issues and very little attention paid to the socio-economic aspects of the NTFP sector. NTFPs are not only a conservation issue but are essentially a sustainable livelihoods issue particularly for rural populations. Given the level of uncertainty the region faces in its traditional earning sectors (i.e. agriculture, tourism), the ecological risks and increasing unacceptability associated with traditional timber forestry on small islands and the promotion of the policy of diversification in the agricultural sector, NTFPs may offer a valid avenue for revenue generation. However, the policy environment for NTFPs requires support since it has demonstrated its capacity to generate livelihoods particularly in rural communities for generations. The report sets out an analysis of the constraints and challenges confronting the NTFP sector which are distilled into the following categories; livelihoods, resource sustainability, finance, marketing, policy and institutions, public awareness and information, and training. It identifies the gaps in our knowledge of the NTFP sector, but also proposes opportunities that could assist in addressing the challenges posed in each of these identified areas while noting that progress in this marginalised sector requires a variety of approaches applied within a concerted manner in a favourable policy context. 4 1.0 Introduction The tropical forests of the Caribbean provide a diverse range of important services and products that contribute to the development of the region. An example of a valuable forest service is its ability to function as a watershed thereby securing water resources, reducing severe soil erosion and ameliorating the impacts of shocks to the environment (e.g. torrential rains associated with tropical storms and hurricanes). These regional forests also provide a valuable service through their ability to sustain productive levels of biodiversity from which a variety of products are generated including timber and non timber forest products (NTFPs). The definition of NTFPs, also known as ‘minor forest products’ or Non Wood Forest Products has proven to be inexact and difficult at times because it is “defined not by what it is, but by what it is not”. After noting the exclusive nature of the terminology, Neumann and Hirsch (2000) go on to define a NTFP as “literally any and every natural resource from the forest except timber”. Regional forests have been relied upon for a stream of Non Timber Forest Products (NTFPs) or Non Wood Forest Products (NWFPs) since the pre Columbian era. These NTFPs in many instances reflect cultural history rooted in the use of the region’s biodiversity. Some of these resources serve as foods in the form of forest fruits and nuts (e.g. wild passion fruit, Brazil nut) as well as spices and essences (e.g. mauby, peppers, vanilla). In other instances, NTFPs provide material for the traditional craft sector (e.g. calabash, sisal, palm leaves, roots). Various tree barks, flowers and resins are used to extract tannins or dyes. NTFPs also feature in various cultural and religious practices throughout the region (e.g. incense, gommier sap) and there is growing interest in the traditional herbal remedies used throughout the Caribbean. Many of the rural poor have earned subsistence level income from harvesting such products, selling them either in the raw form or as processed or manufactured goods. The most important NTFPs for the region are (i) medicinal and aromatic plants, (ii) edible products (mainly exotic and natural fruits, bushmeat and bee products) (iii) ornamentals, utensils, handicrafts and (iv) construction material (Rivero 2001). These have been detailed in Table 1. 5 Table 1. Categories of Non Timber Forest Products in the Caribbean Plant products Animals and animal products Categories Description Categories Description Food Vegetal foodstuff and Living animals Mainly vertebrates such beverages provided by as mammals, birds, fruits, nuts, seeds, reptiles kept/bought as roots,(e.g. balata, pomme pets (e.g. peccaries, de lienne, gris gris) parrots, iguana, snakes) Fodder Animal and bee fodder Honey, Products provided by provided by leaves, fruits, beeswax bees. etc. Medicines Medicinal plants (e.g. Bushmeat Meat provided by leaves, bark, roots) used in vertebrates, mainly traditional medicine and/or mammals by pharmaceutical companies Perfumes and Aromatic plants providing Other edible Mainly edible cosmetics essential (volatile) oils and animal products invertebrates such as other products used for insects (e.g. caterpillars), cosmetic purposes crabs and other “secondary” products of animals (e.g. eggs, nests) Dying and tanning Plant material (mainly bark Hides, skins Hide and skin of animals and leaves) providing used for various tannins and other plant purposes parts (especially leaves and fruits) used as colorants (e.g. red mangrove) Utensils, handicrafts Heterogeneous group of Medicine Entire animals or parts products including thatch, of animals such as bamboo, rattan, wrapping various organs used for leaves, fibres (e.g. Arouma, medicinal purposes (e.g. Bwa Flo, Silk cotton floss, caterpillars, crab legs, Screw pine) snake oil) Construction materials thatch, bamboo, fibres, Ornamentals Entire plants (e.g. orchids, Colorants Entire animals